


A Promise of Tomorrow

by freshavocadude



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Gen, No Romance, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, im coping!!!, luke gains another sister basically, tagging that just in case, they both realize theyre not alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24028123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freshavocadude/pseuds/freshavocadude
Summary: AU where Darth Vader lets slip during his final confrontation with Luke that he once had a Padawan...and Luke brings it up with the Rebellion leaders later.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 5
Kudos: 216





	A Promise of Tomorrow

_"I've heard the stories, I know there is still good in you," Luke insisted._

_Darth Vader continued to walk, not sparing him a glance. "I'm sure my former Padawan has told you much, but the power of the dark side is stronger than you give it credit for."_

Former Padawan...? _The thought flickered briefly through Luke's mind, a surge of curiosity, but he pushed it down...for now._

* * *

"When I was confronting my father...he said something I didn't understand. He mentioned a...former Padawan. Do you know what he meant?"

Mon Mothma's eyebrows raised, a more dramatic expression than what Luke was used to seeing on her face. He could sense she knew what—or who—he spoke of. 

"Follow me," she said in way of answer, and with little choice but to obey, Luke did so.

"We are still in the midst of updating the multiple rebel faction leaders spread out across the galaxy on the events that transpired yesterday," she continued, leading him into the communications room. She stopped in front of the holotable. "The next we had planned to contact was leading an extraction mission at the same time as the Battle of Endor. We were unable to connect before, but the mission should be concluded now. Code-name Fulcrum." She nodded to one of the officers to begin a transmission. "I believe I will leave this discussion in your hands," she said to Luke, and then swept out of the room with an air of finality.

Luke watched the door shut behind her, an odd sense of foreboding rising in his chest. It wasn't a bad feeling. But he knew that... _something_ was about to happen. Something big.

He turned back to face the holotable. The officer glanced at him from where she worked. "Signal is connecting. Clear. Please announce yourself."

Luke swallowed, unsure. 

"This is Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, and I carry an important message for Fulcrum regarding the Rebellion."

There was a tense pause, in which he could hear his heart pounding a little in his ears. Could this be...

A voice, heavily modulated, crackled through the comm-link. "This is Fulcrum. Proceed."

Luke felt a stab of disappointment. What had Mon Mothma brought him here for, if the communication wasn't going to be face to face? Had she been trying to distract him from his query? Was there nothing special about the person on the other side of the link? But no...he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the Force sharpen slightly around him. No, his feelings were not wrong. It was important he chose his next words carefully. He opened his eyes and spoke aloud to the room:

"This is Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight," he began by repeating himself. "Yesterday I confronted Sith Lord Darth Vader on his ship in the orbit of the moon known as Endor. He took me to the Emperor as a prisoner, but the Emperor released me under the impression that he could turn me to the dark side. I fought against my father, but refused to kill him. The Emperor became angry....but Darth Vader overcame him on my behalf and killed him." He faltered over his next words, the memories sharp and painful. "I tried to save my father, but he did not survive."

Luke took another deep breath, steadying himself in the silence his words had left. He could feel the attention of every officer in the room, and from the other side of the comm-link, focused on him.

"The Sith have fallen. The Rebellion now looks to the future, and ask for your assistance in bringing down the rest of the corrupt Empire before those still in power seek more of it."

As he finished speaking, a hologram flickered into view. The Force seemed to flood, suddenly, from the energy of the communications link. Luke felt his heart skip a beat as his last word slipped between himself and the hooded figure now standing before him. 

The figure that was Fulcrum.

There was a long pause, in which they regarded each other. Luke had the distinct impression he was being sized up. 

Then Fulcrum spoke again, this time without a modulator. 

"I know. I felt the balance shift. I've been expecting to hear from you for some time already, but..." There was another pause, and all Luke could feel was the stutter in his pulse as he heard the next words.

"I was worried. I shouldn't have been. You have your father's name... but you look and talk like Padmé."

They reached up and removed their hood.

A Togruta stood before him, with distinct wing-like markings on her orange cheeks, and navy stripes across her montrals and lekku. As Luke met her piercing gaze, he felt something in the Force click into place, filling him with a sense of rightness.

"You were my father's Padawan," he said, after a moment, and even to him his voice sounded small and shaky.

She nodded, her lips twisting into what could have been a smile—something small and reminiscent, with the slightest touch of pain. "Yes. My name is Ahsoka Tano. Anakin Skywalker was my mentor in the Clone Wars." Ahsoka sighed, looking down and away. "That was a long time ago. I'm happy to hear that...in his final moments, the Anakin I knew was able to come back to us." 

Ahsoka looked back at him, her expression clear and grave despite the haze of the hologram. "You did save him. You have my thanks for that."

Luke wasn't sure what to say. He was bursting with questions and feelings and could barely sort through them all. She had known who he was, that much was clear, but she had chosen not to reveal herself. She'd been close to his father before the dark side had overpowered him, and close to—Padmé. That name... _my mother_ , he realized with startling clarity. "How—," he began, then changed his mind. "Why—, I didn't—," 

Ahsoka smiled, truer and wider this time, and held up her hand. "Peace, young one."

It was odd to be called that, after everything Luke had felt and gone through. And yet the term made him feel...warm. It was clear from the strength of the Force that surrounded Ahsoka that she was a powerful Jedi. It was different from what he'd felt from Ben, but maybe that was because he was better attuned to it now than he had been before.

Ahsoka continued. "I will answer all your questions and more once I arrive. You can tell Mon Mothma that my extraction mission was a success, and I will personally oversee the transfer, in order to be present in helping plan the Rebellion's next choice of action." She looked over her shoulder, speaking quietly to someone Luke couldn't see. 

His sense of awe cracked, leaving him feeling...oddly torn. Full of a nostalgia he didn't understand, but knew, somehow, was an echo in the Force of the tie this Jedi had had to his father.

"Then this is goodbye."

Ahsoka looked back at him. Her expression was gentle, but there was a shadow of longing, as if she too felt sorry about cutting the conversation short. "Only for a short time, young Skywalker. I'll see you and your sister very soon." 

At these last words a smile sprung to his lips that he couldn't help. Luke took a step back, nodding. "I'll tell them."

Ahsoka nodded back, her eyes softening in the moment before the connection ended, the hologram flickering away into nothing.

No. Not nothing.

Luke closed his eyes and embraced the feeling that he could sense pulsing through the Force, a feeling of completion, and a story come full circle. He waded into that comfortable deepness in his mind, observing as the sense grew and reached, trying to connect him once more to the presence of that Jedi who was far from where he stood. And he felt the glimmer of a new kind of familiarity when that sense connected to something...something that wasn't nothing at all.

Something a lot like hope.

**Author's Note:**

> So how about that clone wars finale, huh?
> 
> I imagine that after this holo-exchange, Ahsoka probably cries a little to herself. 
> 
> In a perfect world, Ahsoka gets to tell Luke and Leia stories about their parents and the adventures they all had during the clone wars. Then they search for and find even more surviving jedi like Ezra, who becomes Luke's best friend since they're the same age, and we get a mini-series about them working together to bring down the remnants of the empire (bc there's no way imperial rule fell apart overnight LOL). The first order never happens, because that's what both Luke and Anakin deserve. Everyone is happy and the galaxy is at peace! Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
> 
> (I haven't actually watched Rebels (yet) so no spoilers!)
> 
> Thank you for reading. ♡
> 
> [my tumblr](casualavocados.tumblr.com)


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